Deck 14: Construct, Deliver, and Maintain Systems Project

Question 1

Which of the following is NOT an output attribute?

A) relevance
B) exception orientation
C) zones
D) accuracy

Answer 1

Output Attribute
• Output refers the information which is get after processing the inputs in right direction. Outputs support decision making and further tasks of users.
• The output should be presented in proper format to be understood and used better.
• There are several attributes which are defined for output to be followed such as relevance, summarization, exception orientation, timeliness, accuracy, completeness and conciseness.
• Zone refers a subpart of the form which is designed for getting inputs; it is not relevant to output.
Hence, the correct option is
.
Explanation for incorrect options:
• Relevance refers the exactly matched output as per requirement.
Hence, the option 'a' is not correct.
• Exception orientation refers specifying the conditions and reasons on which the output could not prepared successfully.
Hence, the option 'b' is not correct.
• Accuracy refers the correctness of the output in all the extents.
Hence, the option 'd' is not correct.

Question 2

At which stage are errors most costly to correct?

A) programming
B) conceptual design
C) analysis
D) detailed design
E) implementation

Answer 2

Errors
Errors are the mistakes that occur in performing any type of task. SDLC has some phases to develop the system systematically. The first phase is analysis where the analysis of old system and new requirements is done. The errors occurred in this phase could easily be corrected after getting them by review. Then the steps of conceptual designing, detailed designing, programming and implementation are done. These are sequential steps and logically it is concluded that as mush higher the level, the error correction is costlier. Therefore, in the phase of implementation errors are most costly to correct.
Hence, the correct option is
.
Explanation for incorrect options:
• Programming refers the coding in programming language codes. Error detection and correction are the easy tasks here because of the features provided by the programming languages. Hence, the option 'a' is not correct.
• Conceptual design is the documentation of codes and after review errors could be corrected. Hence, the option 'b' is not correct.
• Analysis refers the getting details of old system and new requirements. The errors occurred in this phase could easily be corrected after getting them by review. Hence, the option 'c' is not correct.
• Detailed design refers the documentation preparation for designing entire system. After review errors could be corrected. Hence, the option 'd' is not correct.

Question 3

The PERT is combined with cost data to produce a PERT cost analysis to

A) calculate the total project cost inclusive of the additional slack time.
B) evaluate and optimize trade-offs between time of an event's completion and its cost to complete.
C) implement computer-integrated manufacturing concepts.
D) avoid the problem of time variance analysis.
E) calculate expected activity times.

Answer 3

PERT
• Project Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) chart determines the relationship among key activities and delivery process.
• The principal features of PERT chart are activities, events, Paths and Critical Paths.
• The PERT is combined with cost data to produce a PERT cost analysis to evaluate and optimize trade-offs between time of an event's completion and its cost to be completed.
Hence, the correct option is
.
Explanation for incorrect options:
• Calculation of total project cost is not concerned by PERT. Hence, the option 'a' is not correct.
• Implementation of computer-integrated manufacturing concepts is not the task shown by PERT. Hence, the option 'c' is not correct.
• Avoiding the problem of time variance analysis is concerned by PERT but it does not use cost data. Hence, the option 'd' is not correct.
• Calculating expected activity times is concerned by PERT but it does not use cost data. Hence, the option 'e' is not correct.

Question 4

Distinguish between object classes and instances.

Question 5

What is data modeling? What is its primary tool?

Question 6

Which activities during the systems implementation phase have the greatest implications for accountants and auditors?

Question 7

Disadvantages of CASE
In spite of these many virtues, CASE is not without its disadvantages, including:
Program inefficiency. The source code that CASE tools produce is not as efficient as code written by a skilled programmer. To improve program efficiency, programmers often modify the CASE-generated modules. This practice can produce discrepancies between the DFD system logic and the program logic.

Question 8

DATA FLOW DIAGRAMS
Sawicki Music Supply is a mail-order business that accepts merchandise orders by telephone and mail. All payments must be prepaid with a major credit card. Once an order is received, either the item is found in inventory and shipped immediately, the item is not found in inventory and is ordered from the manufacturer, or a notice is sent to the customer indicating that the item is no longer stocked.
Required
Prepare a context-, intermediate-, and elementary-level data flow diagram for Sawicki Music Supply. For the elementary-level diagram, explode the inventory function.

Question 9

ATTRIBUTES AND OPERATIONS
Prepare a list of attributes and operations for the following items:
a. general ledger
b. accounts payable ledger
c. accounts receivable ledger
d. fixed assets ledger
e. inventory ledger

Question 10

PERT AND GANTT CHARTS
The lottery commission of a state with about $500 million a year in revenue has looked to modern technology for increasing lottery sales. The strategy is to place self-service sales machines around the state. Customers simply fill out the bubbles on the form and insert the form into the computer. If they wish, they may enter their numbers directly in the computer and skip the form altogether. The machine accepts cash and automatic teller machine cards. The lottery commission is very excited about this project because it thinks it could boost lottery ticket sales by as much as 30 percent.
The systems department has finished the final feasibility report and has determined the following estimates for implementing the system. It plans on purchasing a larger, more powerful mainframe computer to handle the processing of the transactions. The manufacturer has promised a delivery date of three months from the time the order is placed. The lottery sales machines must be special ordered and require a lead time of five months. The plan is to initially order 15 machines and test them for 12 weeks. If all goes well, the lottery commission will order a total of 500 machines, with 20 delivered and installed each month. This order will not be placed until the results of the pilot test have been analyzed.
The writing of the programs is expected to take six weeks. The testing of the programs on the mainframe is expected to take four weeks, with an additional three weeks once the sales machines have been received. The state gaming commission is expected to test for another two weeks. The design of the databases is expected to take only two weeks. Not much data transfer is expected to be necessary, so only three weeks is budgeted for this task.
An estimated 20 employees need to be hired and trained to install and maintain these machines around the state. The hiring process is expected to take six weeks, and the training should take an additional six weeks. The documentation should take about three months and should be completed before the training of the new employees. As soon as the gaming commission signs off on the programs, the 15 machines are to be installed at test sites around the state. Four weeks are allotted for this installation procedure. A one-week testing period is planned, with commission employees going to the sites and using the machines. An additional week is planned to review the results of these tests. The pilot test then begins and runs for eight weeks. The data will be analyzed for four weeks after the pilot test. The final order for the additional machines will be placed after the data analysis is conducted, and the demand for the number of machines is more accurately determined.
Required
a. Prepare a PERT chart for the process described. Identify the critical path.
b. Prepare a Gantt chart for the process described.

Question 11

During a test data procedure, why should the developers bother testing bad data?

Question 12

What are the three basic symbols in an ER diagram?

Question 13

Which chart, a PERT or a Gantt, shows the project status at a glance for a given point in time? Which method illustrates the critical path at a glance?

Question 14

The following is a list of the commonly cited advantages of the CASE approach.
Promotion of user involvement. Through its prototyping features, CASE has great potential for improving user involvement in the development process. We discuss this point in more detail in the following section.

Question 15

What functions do CASE tools serve?

Question 16

What is a data flow diagram? What are the different levels from most general to most detailed? Draw the common symbols used.

Question 17

What is the iceberg effect? How can CASE tools help to minimize this phenomenon?

Question 18

What is meant by inheritance? Give an example.

Question 19

Distinguish between primary and foreign keys.

Question 20

Discuss the relative merits and drawbacks to 3GL How might changing technology affect some of these issues in the future?

Question 21

The following is a list of the commonly cited advantages of the CASE approach.
Reusable program code and documentation. The central repository feature allows CASE systems to share common program modules and documentation.

Question 22

What documentation techniques are used in the structured design approach to conceptual design? What is the purpose of each of these documentation techniques, and how do they vary from each other? How much detail is provided?

Question 23

Discuss the importance of the weights assigned to factors in the final selection process. What method might you suggest be used to investigate the appropriateness of the weights?

Question 24

Are direct input systems (i.e., point-of-sale using bar codes) error free? Why or why not?

Question 25

During implementation, if the system is behind schedule and if each program module is tested and no problems are found, is it necessary to test all modules in conjunction with one another? Why or why not?

Question 26

What is a data dictionary?

Question 27

What is a hybrid language?

Question 28

The following is a list of the commonly cited advantages of the CASE approach.
Reduced maintenance cost. By maintaining the system at the conceptual level, maintenance time and programming errors are reduced. This translates into a more efficient process that responds more quickly to user needs. The iceberg effect is reduced by as much as 50 percent.

Question 29

Which of the following is NOT a principal feature of a PERT chart?

A) starting and ending dates
B) events
C) paths
D) activities

Question 30

User acceptance testing is more important in an object-oriented development process than in a traditional environment because of the implications of the

A) absence of traditional design documents.
B) lack of a tracking system for changes.
C) potential for continuous monitoring.
D) inheritance of properties in hierarchies.

Question 31

Which of the following is NOT part of the systems implementation process?

A) converting databases
B) documentation
C) systems design
D) testing and correction

Question 32

Why is the object-oriented approach particularly suited to ERP system design?

Question 33

What document is used to determine which tables of data are necessary?

Question 34

What are the advantages to the modular programming approach?

Question 35

DATA FLOW DIAGRAMS
Examine the context and intermediate (Level 1) data flow diagrams in the diagram for Problem 3 and indicate what is incorrect about them.

Question 36

COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE
Robert Hamilton was hired six months ago as the controller of a small oil and gas exploration and development company, Gusher Inc., headquartered in Beaumont, Texas. Before working at Gusher, Hamilton was the controller of a larger petroleum company, Eureka Oil Company, based in Dallas.
The joint interest billing and fixed asset accounting systems of Gusher are outdated, and frequent processing problems and errors have been occurring. Hamilton immediately recognized these problems and informed the president, Mr. Barton, that it was crucial to install a new system. Barton concurred and met with Hamilton and Sally Jeffries, the information systems senior manager. Barton instructed Jeffries to make the new system a top priority. Basically, he told Jeffries to deliver the system to meet Hamilton's needs as soon as possible.
Jeffries left the meeting feeling overwhelmed because the IT department is currently working on two other very big projects, one for the production department and the other for the geological department. The next day, Hamilton sent a memo to Jeffries indicating the name of a system he had 100 percent confidence in-Amarillo Software- and he also indicated that he would very much like this system to be purchased as soon as possible. He stated that the system had been used with much success during the past four years in his previous job.
When commercial software is purchased, Jeffries typically sends out requests for proposals to at least six different vendors after conducting a careful analysis of the needed requirements. However, due to the air of urgency demonstrated in the meeting with the president and the overworked systems staff, she decided to go along with Hamilton's wishes and sent only one RFP, which went to Amarillo Software. Amarillo promptly returned the completed questionnaire. The purchase price ($75,000) was within the budgeted amount. Jeffries contacted the four references provided and was satisfied with their comments. Further, she felt comfortable because the system was for Hamilton, and he had used the system for four years.
The plan was to install the system during the month of July and try it for the August transaction cycle. Problems were encountered, however, during the installation phase. The system processed extremely slowly on Gusher's hardware platform. When Jeffries asked Hamilton how the problem had been dealt with at Eureka, he replied that he did not remember having such a problem. He called the systems manager from Eureka and discovered that Eureka has a much more powerful mainframe than Gusher. Further investigation revealed that Gusher has more applications running on its mainframe than Eureka does, because Eureka uses a two mainframe distributed processing platform.
Also, the data transfer did not go smoothly. A few data elements being stored in the system were not available as an option in the Amarillo system. Jeffries found that the staff at Amarillo was very friendly when she called, but they could not always identify the problem over the phone. They needed to come out to the site and investigate. Hamilton was surprised at the delays between requesting an Amarillo consultant to come out and the time in which he or she actually arrived. Amarillo explained that it had to fly a staff member from Dallas to Beaumont for each trip.
The system finally began to work somewhat smoothly in January, after a grueling fiscal yearend close in October. Hamilton's staff views the project as an unnecessary inconvenience. At one point, two staff accountants threatened to quit. The extra consulting fees amounted to $35,000. Further, the systems department at Gusher spent 500 more hours during the implementation process than it had expected. These additional hours caused other projects to fall behind schedule.
Required
Discuss what could have been done differently during the design phase. Why were most of the problems encountered? How might a detailed feasibility study have helped?

Question 37

PREPARE PSEUDOCODE
Accountants understand their jobs very well. Programmers also understand their jobs. Unfortunately, accountants are rarely programmers, and programmers are rarely accountants. Although an accountant does not need to program, the accountant must be able to communicate his requirement to the programmer, an individual who may not understand the intricate needs of the accountants. To bridge this knowledge gap, the accountant may be called on to produce pseudocode-a set of detailed instructions written in English without syntax rules. Suppose you need a programmer to prepare code that will read sales information from an input screen, compute extensions for items sold, compute a total of these extensions, and update inventory balances, the sales ledger account, and accounts receivable as well as any subsidiary accounts. Prepare pseudocode for the programmer.

Question 38

Run manuals for computer operators are similar in theory to the checklists that airplane pilots use for takeoffs and landings. Explain why these are important.

Question 39

Once the conceptual links between tables have been determined, how are the physical links incorporated?

Question 40

Why should test data be saved after it has been used?

Question 41

Distinguish between upper and lower CASE tools.

Question 42

What is the relationship between an elementary-level DFD and a structure diagram? Which must be prepared first?

Question 43

Distinguish between reverse engineering and reengineering.

Question 44

What are the four factors that have stimulated the growth of commercial software?

Question 45

What attributes should output views possess?

Question 46

Explain the importance of documentation by the systems programmers.

Question 47

Compare and contrast the structured design approach and the object-oriented design approach. Which do you feel is most beneficial? Why?

Question 48

Who should select the contact user group-the vendor or the prospective user? Why?

Question 49

Why is it necessary to decompose the DFD to a level of high detail before preparing the structure diagram? How do you know when to stop this process?

Question 50

How might the decision to use CASE tools affect the choice of a programming language?

Question 51

Why is the quality of the paper a major consideration in the design of a hard-copy input?

Question 52

What documents do accountants and auditors need for the new system that other stakeholders typically do not?

Question 53

Internal auditors would most appropriately perform which of the following activities during a review of systems development activity?

A) Serve on the MIS steering committee that determines what new systems are to be developed.
B) Review the methodology used to monitor and control the system development function.
C) Recommend specific automated procedures to be incorporated into new systems that will provide reasonable assurance that all data submitted to an application are converted to machine-readable form.
D) Recommend specific operational procedures that will ensure that all data submitted for processing are converted to machine-readable form.

Question 54

Which of the following sets of application characteristics of an accounting application might influence the selection of data entry devices and media for a computerized accounting system?

A) timing of feedback needs relative to input, need for documentation of an activity, and the necessity for reliability and accuracy
B) cost considerations, volume of input, complexity of activity, and liquidity of assets involved
C) need for documentation, necessity for accuracy and reliability, volume of output, and cost considerations
D) relevancy of data, volume of input, cost considerations, volume of output, and timing of feedback needs relative to input
E) type of file used, reliability of manufacturer's service, volume of output, and cost considerations

Question 55

What is the critical path in the PERT method for network analysis?

A) shortest path through the network
B) longest path through the network
C) path with the most slack
D) path with the most variability in estimated times
E) least cost path

Question 56

Distinguish between turnkey and backbone systems. Which is more flexible?

Question 57

What are the two classes of design input views?

Question 58

What very important precautions must be taken during the data conversion procedures?

Question 59

DESIGN INPUT VIEW
During the system design phase of the SDLC, input interfaces or input views must be sketched out so programmers can specify the necessary elements when they program the user interfaces for the system. Figure 14-12 presents an interface for a Reorder Report. Sketch a similar interface that could be used to program a sales invoice interface. Include areas for a document heading, customer information, shipping information, sales employee information, and items sold.

Question 60

DATA FLOW DIAGRAM
The detailed data flow diagram in Figure 14-16 decomposes the DFD for the expenditure cycle in Figure 14-15. Further decompose the process numbered 1.4.4, Receive Invoice, in detail.

Question 61

CMA 786 5-Y6
PERT Chart
Silver Aviation assembles small aircraft for commercial use. The majority of Silver's business is with small freight airlines serving areas where the airport does not accommodate larger planes. The remainder of Silver's customers are commuter airlines and individuals who use planes in their businesses. Silver recently expanded into Central and South America and expects to double its sales over the next three years.
To schedule work and keep track of all projects, Silver uses the PERT. The PERT diagram for the construction of a single cargo plane is shown in the diagram for Problem 12. The PERT diagram shows that there are four alternative paths, with the critical path being ABGEFJK.
Bob Peterson, president of Coastal Airlines, has recently placed an order with Silver Aviation for five cargo planes. At the time of contract negotiations, Peterson agreed to a delivery time of 13 weeks (5 working days per week) for the first plane, with the balance of the planes being delivered at the rate of one every 4 weeks. Because of problems with some of the aircraft Coastal is using, Peterson has contacted Grace Vander, sales manager for Silver Aviation, to ask about improving the delivery date of the first cargo plane. Vander replied that she believed the schedule could be shortened by as much as 10 working days, or 2 weeks, but the cost of construction would increase as a result. Peterson said he would be willing to consider the increased costs, and they agreed to meet the following day to review a revised schedule that Vander would prepare.
Because Silver Aviation has assembled aircraft on an accelerated basis before, the company has compiled a list of crash costs for this purpose. Vander used the data shown in the Crash Cost Listing table at the middle of the diagram for Problem 12 to develop a plan to cut 10 working days from the schedule at a minimal increase in cost to Coastal Airlines.
Upon completing her plan, Vander was pleased that she could report to Peterson that Silver would be able to cut 10 working days from the schedule. The associated increase in cost would be $6,600. Presented at the bottom of the diagram for Problem 12 is Vander's plan for the accelerated delivery of the cargo plane, starting from the regularly scheduled days and costs.
Required
a. PERT is a form of network analysis.
1. Explain how the expected regular times for each activity are derived in using PERT.
2. Define the term critical path and explain why path ABGEFJK is the critical path in this situation.

b. Evaluate the accelerated delivery schedule that Grace Vander prepared.
1. Explain why Vander's plan as presented is unsatisfactory.
2. Revise the accelerated delivery schedule so that Coastal Airlines will take delivery of the first plane 2 weeks (10 working days) ahead of schedule at the least incremental cost to Coastal.
3. Calculate the incremental costs Bob Peterson will have to pay for this revised accelerated delivery.

Question 62

What are the three implementation (cutover) methods? Which appears to be the most costly up front? Which could very likely end up being the most costly in the long run?

Question 63

What are zones?

Question 64

The following is a list of the commonly cited advantages of the CASE approach.
Reduced system complexity. CASE systems are more easily comprehended than traditional methods and support structured logic concepts.

Question 65

What is a central repository in a CASE system?

Question 66

Is pseudocode programming language-specific? How about the coding model?

Question 67

Contrast the advantages and disadvantages of CASE tools. What should determine whether CASE is used?

Question 68

What are the four steps involved in choosing a package?

Question 69

In what form should embedded instructions be written-active or passive voice? Why?

Question 70

Disadvantages of CASE
In spite of these many virtues, CASE is not without its disadvantages, including:
Product cost. The cost of a CASE system is proportional to its features and sophistication. Microcomputer CASE tools with limited features may be obtained for hundreds of dollars. Fully equipped CASE tools for a mainframe environment can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Question 71

Data flow diagrams are often described as exploding from one level to the next. What is meant by "exploding"? Also, data flow diagrams must reconcile from the general level to the next level of detail. What is meant by "reconcile"? How do you think CASE tools help in this procedure?

Question 72

If a firm decides early to go with a special-purpose system, such as SAP, based upon the recommendations of the external audit firm, should the SDLC be bypassed?

Question 73

What processes should be used to develop useful and meaningful output? Who should be involved in the development process?

Question 74

A good structure diagram should be loosely coupled yet strongly cohesive. How can you achieve both characteristics simultaneously? What implications do these characteristics have on errorprone problems during maintenance?

Question 75

Who conducts the post-implementation review? When should it be conducted? If an outside consulting firm were hired to design and implement the new system, or a canned software package were purchased, would a post-implementation review still be useful?

Question 76

What are the relative merits of input from source documents and direct input?

Question 77

The following is a list of the commonly cited advantages of the CASE approach.
Increased flexibility. The systems development process does not usually proceed in a purely linear fashion in which each stage is totally complete before the next one begins. Rather, it tends to be a cyclical process. It will be necessary to return to a previous stage if proceeding to the next stage will result in a flawed design or an improper implementation. As the details of the problem unfold in the downstream stages, it may be necessary to reconsider and revise upstream models. Compared to manual techniques, CASE provides a great deal of flexibility to the analyst in making such revisions.

Question 78

Which sequence of events bests describes the activities in the systems development life cycle?

A) design, analysis, implementation, and operation
B) design, implementation, analysis, and operation
C) analysis, design, implementation, and operation
D) programming, analysis, implementation, and operation

Question 79

Which of the following is the least risky strategy for converting from a legacy system to a new system?

A) file conversion
B) parallel conversion
C) pilot conversion
D) big bang conversion
E) direct conversion

Question 80

What is the name given to the systems development approach used to quickly produce a model of user interfaces, user interactions with the system, and process logic?

A) neural networking
B) prototyping
C) reengineering
D) application generation